Full Orientation Session for New Postdoctoral Scholars on Campus
August 14, 2026
REGISTRATION OPEN NOW: https://fsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3WPnIdTTXbq3qbI
All new postdoctoral scholars on campus are required to attend either the full Summer Orientation or a new postdoctoral scholar "Welcome" that occur in the months of October, January, and April. The "Welcome" format of orientation serves to give new postdocs the basics of the full required orientation program in the span of an hour over the lunch period. It is designed for scholars that initiate their training during the year rather than in synchrony with the start of the school year in August. At both orientations, you can converse with Human Resources representatives about initiating your employee benefits within the 60-day onboarding window, learn about support for global engagements, join the leadership team of our postdoctoral association (PDA), and hear about opportunities for professional development activities.
Please see the planned agenda below for the Full Orientation in August. After the orientation, we will share a Teams site for attendees to access all the materials and templates from the event that you might need throughout the year. The Full Orientation in August will be structured as follows:
Coffee/Tea Welcome and Registration - 9:00 - 9:30 am
Session 1= 9:30 to 11:30 am (All Postdocs, Main Orientation): for new postdocs to learn about opportunities and resources on campus. If you are also a new faculty member on campus or have never supervised a postdoctoral scholar, then this session may be very helpful for you as well.
- International Engagements (Center for Global Engagement) - 9:30 - 9:45 am
- Program in Instructional Excellence (Center for the Advancement of Teaching) - 9:45 - 10:00 am
- Join the PDA!! (TBD) - 10:00 - 10:10 am
- General Opportunities, Expectations, and Professional Development (Graduate School) - 10:10 - 10:45 am
- Break
- Health Insurance and Retirement Benefits (Human Resources) - 11:00 - 11:30 am
Lunch on your own, 11:30am to 1pm. The Student Union is nearby; many faculty and staff frequent its restaurants.
Session 2 = 1 to 2:30 pm (All Postdocs and Advisors, Individual Development Plans) You and your mentor will have protected time to establish your Individual Development Plan (IDP), which is required as a component of FSU’s NSF and NIH applications and funding renewals. Please bring a laptop with you to the second session so you can craft your IDP. If your advisor cannot be present, you can work within a peer group to formulate your IDP, that you can then share with your advisor after the session.
- Introduction to the Individual Development Plan (IDP) (Graduate School) - 1:00 - 1:30 pm
- Planning your IDP in Partnership - 1:30 - 2:15 pm
- Mentoring Compact (Graduate School) - 2:15 - 2:30 pm
"Welcome" Mini-Orientation Session for New Postdoctoral Scholars on Campus
REGISTRATION will open in early fall for our session on Monday, October 26, 2026
All new postdoctoral scholars on campus are invited to the next upcoming new postdoctoral scholar "Welcome." The "Welcome" format of orientation serves to give new postdocs the basics of the full required orientation program in the spans of an hour over the lunch period. It is designed for scholars that initiate their training during the year rather than in synchrony with the start of the school year in August. You can converse with Human Resources representatives about initiating your employee benefits within the 60-day onboarding window, learn about support for global engagements, join the leadership team of our postdoctoral association (PDA), and hear about opportunities for travel awards, and professional development activities.
Agenda:
- General PD Opportunities, Expectations, and Professional Development (Graduate School)
- International Engagements (Center for Global Engagement)
- Center for the Advancement of Teaching
- Health Insurance and Retirement Benefits (Human Resources)
- Join the PDA!! (TBD)